Week 37

Hey everyone,

Its been another week and I'm in another area. I'm in Dagupan 3rd ward and my companion is Elder Borejon. I've been in Dagupan for about 3 hours and it should be pretty fun. My area has a beach daw, so I'm looking forward to that even though I cant swim out here. 

My last week in Bugallon was a good one and there are a lot of people who are progressing and figuring out their relationship with the savior for themselves. I can't express how much joy the work brings me and how much I've learned about why we're all really here. I echo the words of Nephi in 2 Nephi 4 and I know in whom it is that I have trusted. God is great and His plan is perfect for each and every one of us without exception. We just need to work on aligning our will with the Father's and do all he asks of us with joy.

I'm inexpressibly grateful for the 4 months I had in Bugallon and all the work I was able to do there. I know that I was there for a lot of reasons and it will be the same here. Look for the hand of god and you will see it. Your whole life is in the hand of God.

I love you all,

-Elder Collier

Picture 1 is a bukid rain selfie in my favorite barangay Banaga

Picture 2 is the Navarro crew

Week 36

Hey family, friends, acquaintances, and any random people who might stumble across this on the internet. Whats new with you guys?

Its been a good one out here in Bugallon and I got to work with some pretty cool people this week. I had the chance to go on exchanges with Elder Jazmin (I'll get a picture with him hopefully this week) and we had a really productive day. I was able to learn a lot from him, because he's way good at just becoming friends with people and getting close to them in order to better help them.

It rains a lot out here and rain is pretty fun. Friday night it started pouring right before we took a trike home (trikes in the rain = not fun) but luckily we got one with a door. The street that we live on was a river and there was tons of lightning. It was way fun. We got soaked. As a side note, I'm sick, but for the record I was sick before the rain.

Its good times out here. sorry this is a weird one

-Elder Collier

Picture 1 is a picture of me acting naturally because my mom didn't want any more posed pictures

Picture 2 is the boys in the rain after getting home at the same time

Picture 3 is the boys in the rain ft. Elder Nonu

Week 35

So, it's been 8 months since I reported to the MTC.  How crazy is that? It really doesn't feel like its been that long because I still feel super new out here. Its weird to see the changes that have happened in my life and the weird gaps between what I think I can do and what I can actually do. Apparently I speak a lot more Tagalog than it feels like I do, which is nice to here, and I've actually been able to start picking up and processing the Pangasinan that I hear in the street. The gift of Tongues is real, because I know that this isn't coming from me.

I had an experience this week in teaching about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ where I was so clearly able to feel the Lord guiding me it was amazing. We were sitting out in this little shack in the middle of a bunch of fields and it was raining ridiculously hard. The pounding of the rain on the metal rook and the wind made it hard to hear. It was windy, it was almost cold, and we were doing our best to help this girl answer her questions. We were teaching about prophets and why they were and are so important for us, and I had this moment where I was speaking and at the same time, realized that the words I was speaking weren't coming from me, but coming from the Spirit to help her hear exactly the things she needed. It was amazing and a powerful witness that the Lord is using me out here.

Love you all and hope you're all doing well,

-this kid

Picture 1 is us walking our workers through the bukid and they were all amazed we knew so many shortcuts like thats now what we do all day

Picture 2 is a bunch of people who wanted to take a picture with us at church on Sunday